Black Keys
by CozItRunsInMyBlood
Summary: A Muslim Arab prince and a Catholic American girl - who would've ever thought! Unexpectedly thrust together as a deal of betrayal by her brother, when fate steps in to teach them about love, acceptance and destiny.
1. Prologue

**(SM) owns Twilight.**

**(CozItRunsInMyBlood) owns the plot.**

**(RobzBeanie) is a lifesaver and she beta this.**

**(GrandeDame) is my soul-mate and per-reader.**

**Prologue**

**Isabella Marie**

_Oh, God! I'd never let that pig touch me!_

I shot up into standing position like the sofa was on fire and looked around, finally really taking the room in. The sheets on the bed were white with red rosebuds all over them, shaped like a giant heart.

_God! Oh, God!_

I felt a bit lightheaded as I imagined myself on that bed doing what they expected me to do.

I ran to stand next to the bed where I saw colored lights coming from a window on the wall beside it. I looked closely, searching for a way to escape from that window but found none since it was blocked by iron bars from the outside.

With hurried steps, I made my way to the door in the corner of the room, which turned out to be a bathroom just like I had expected – a freakily huge one, at that. I looked all over the bathroom for any sort of an exit but all of my efforts came out fruitless.

My hands came to my collar and I yanked the button that held my robe together over my body and let it fall to the floor; it was choking me. I gripped the same hair that my brother had just let go of not ten minutes earlier and groaned in frustration, my tears out of my control.

That was it. There was no way out for me. No way at all.

My eyes caught my reflection in the mirror and I didn't like what I saw. It was a sad girl with black tears running down her cheeks and a broken heart caused by her brother's unfaithfulness.

In my frustrated state, I didn't realize I had picked up a bottle of lotion from the counter and smashed the mirror with it until I saw the shattered pieces flying down to the floor.

Once I saw those broken pieces, a thought crept into my mind: _I have to hurt the prince._ There was no other way. I'd give up my own life before I gave up my body to him.

**~BK~**


	2. Important

**Important:**

_**Hello, everyone,**_

_**First of all, I wanted to thank each of you who took the time to leave me a review, it was very kind of you and I really appreciate it.**_

_**Second, just wanted to clear some things:**_

_**Most of the characters in this story won't be very likeable at first.**_

_**The characters only speak of their own minds and their own personalities, not the author's.**_

_**In **_**no way**_** do I have anything against Islam, Arabs, Christianity or Americans.**_

_**I AM very aware that not all of Americans think like my heroine in this story.**_

_**The Arabian country that will hold lots of events in this story won't be mentioned by the name. It's real, though, and it **_**does**_** exist, but I don't want to offend its citizens anyhow.**_

_**Some of the traditions I'll show in this story does happen in said Arabian country, however, some others are not. Though, they are REAL, only taken from other cultures, not Arabian countries, but Islamic ones.**_

_**Third, I have a blog and the link is on my profile. There, I'll be posting the chapters with pics when pics are required for those of you who are not familiar with some of the things in here.**_

_**The blog will always be a chapter ahead, or even more. I'm only posting in here for readers who only like this site and prefer it over blogs.**_

_**The idea of this story came when one of my readers and dear friend (Bella Grey) suggested I write a story with Arabian prince in it.**_

_**The summary that brought you here is completely written by my beautiful per-reader (GrandeDame)I'm not that awesome. Or, at all.**_

_**Lastly, I really hope that this comes out as something fun, and not offending for anyone. I hope we get to learn about different cultures and religions together as we watch this little fic grow.**_

_**I'm very open for anyone who wants to ask anything, I don't mind, not at all. Well, as long as it's not personal questions ;)**_

_**I'll try my best to update once a week, though, my other WIP – CHY II – is my priority.**_

_**I think this is all, hope you have a wonderful day, and thanks for reading.**_

_**Much love,**_

_**Cozy.**_


	3. Chapter 1

**(SM) Owns twilight.**

**(CozItRunsInMyBlood) Owns the plot.**

**(RobzBeanie) Is a lifesaver and beta this.**

**(GrandeDame) Is my soul-mate and per-reader.**

**Chapter 1**

**Isabella Marie**

Working late again, the whole building was almost empty. I think it was only me and the security guys there – it was after nine PM after all.

"Look who's here!"

The voice I'd longed to hear for what seemed like forever called out, forcing me to stop my rapid tapping on the keyboard of my laptop and to look up and away from the screen to where it was coming from.

"Jasper!"

I jumped up from my seat and ran into his arms, hugging him tightly and squealing in delight when he picked me up off the floor and spun me around, forcing my legs to fly in the air as I lifted them up, an act that was caused by my excitement to finally be able to see him face to face and not through a stupid webcam.

"Princess." He put me down and kissed my hair, hugging me once more before pulling back a few inches to look at me. "I've missed you so much," he smiled.

"Loser!" I said, punching him playfully in the chest. "If that was true you wouldn't have stayed away this long without seeing your little sister." I scowled at him, lips in a tight line, hands on my hips and all.

"Ah, I know, I know. And I'm so sorry about it, Sweetie. But you know it was out of my hands," he sighed.

I did know it was out of his hands. It had been like that since my parents passed away last year when our private jet crashed with them onboard, almost crashing Jasper's and my world along with it.

It wasn't easy for us to go on. Our parents were unlike any other parents in the world; they were the best mom and dad anyone could ask for, even better. There was nothing –absolutely nothing – we asked for and couldn't have. Well, there was nothing that we didn't already have anyway; we had everything and a bit more. And in just one minute they were gone. It took us a long time to accept it and move on with our lives, with Jasper and I having to take care of everything they'd left behind, a heavy weight that was formed in the shape of one of the biggest exporting and transporting companies in the United States of America.

I was barely twenty-one and Jasper was only twenty-four when we took over managing our company, having to get everything back on track since it had almost fallen apart when we neglected it for the two months we spent unable to get to the stage of mentioning their names without crying our souls out.

It wasn't easy. It was a really hard job to take care of all of that with my English major and Jasper's in history, which we weren't even able to finish since managing the company took all of our time.

"I know." It was my turn to sigh. "Come and sit down, I want details about everything." I dragged him by the hand to sit on the black leather sofa that was across from my desk.

He let out a long breath when he was comfortable on the couch, unbuttoning his suit jacket and putting his arm over the back of the couch, moving slightly to face me as I sat with my legs underneath me, already barefoot and jacket-less since the moment all of the other employees went home. "What do you want to know?" he asked.

"Hello! Everything, Dude!" I told him. "And please, I don't want to hear anything about work."

"It was good, Bella. Really good, actually. A little hot, but the people were very nice, and very kind," he said with a nod and a smile.

It was only when he spoke those words that I noticed the slight tan covering his features. It was really a strange sight, since I was so used to seeing him with the very pale skin that we'd both inherited from our mother along with the bright blue eyes and blond locks.

I couldn't help but think Jasper was lying to me about the people part. He knew I wasn't very comfortable with him going to the Middle East. I'd heard all of my life that Arabs weren't very easy to deal with, let alone Arabian Muslims. I couldn't remember one time that Islam was mentioned in front of me and the word 'Terrorism' didn't flash in my mind.

Jasper must've felt my discomfort so he changed the subject immediately. ''The food alone was great, my God! I can't even begin to tell you." When he saw the smile of excitement that decorated my face, he went on and on about the safe subject that starred so many kinds of food and drinks along with the beauty of the country itself.

I'd missed it so much, to have him sitting with me and talking for hours like we were doing now. My heart was dancing in joy because I was finally feeling his presence after a long six months of absence.

"And, I, uh – I met someone," he said almost shyly.

That was another subject I wasn't very fond of: Jasper's lifestyle. My brother wasn't a player, per se, but he'd known a lot of women over the years. Our parents had tried their best to tell us how wrong it was and to wait for The One – that it would pay off in the end when we met our God and would be rewarded for our good deeds. Jasper didn't listen, not so much anyway.

However, the look in his eyes told me that it was different this time, that it might really be that thing our parents told us we'd find at some point: The One.

"I'm pretty sure you met lots of ones," I teased, which made him chuckle and shake his head.

"Okay then, I met a girl."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah."

"Okay, she must be really special for you to mention her," I pointed out.

"She is," he smiled. "Marie, I–I fell in love."

My eyes almost bulged out of my skull. "Get out!" I said loudly, and he chuckled.

"It's for real."

"Oh, my God!" I gushed. "Jasper, this is wonderful. So wonderful."

"And, uh- …"

"What?"

"I–I'm getting married."

"Shut up!" I screamed in disbelief and delight at the same time.

"I am."

"Oh, my God! Oh, my God!" I squealed, throwing myself in his arms, hugging him and kissing his cheeks like crazy. The happiness I felt for him was beyond words, I couldn't even begin to explain.

"That is the best news. Ever," I told him; my mouth almost hurt from too much smiling.

"I knew you'd be happy for me."

"Of course I am," I replied. "Wow! I can't believe you met the girl of your dreams on that trip. Is she one of the staff?"

"Uh, no. She's, uh – she's a princess."

"Oooh! So you fell in love and suddenly I'm not your princess anymore but your fiancée is, huh?" I pouted playfully.

"No, you'll always be my princess, Sweetie. But, uh, she's a real princess, you know, royal one, the daughter of the king."

I frowned. For a moment I thought Jasper had somehow gone to the United Kingdom at some point in the past few months, but immediately remembered that they had a queen and not a king. Then suddenly realization hit me.

"What?"

It couldn't be.

"Marie, she's a very sweet girl, so nice and tender. You'll fall in love with her in seconds."

"An Arab?"

"If you'd just meet her and get to know h-"

"An Arab, Jasper? Are you frigging kidding me?! You're marrying an Arab?"

"Marie, listen to me." He took the both of my hands in his. "Love knows no boundaries; it hits you when it feels right, and being with her just feels right."

My bottom lip was trapped between my teeth and my frown deepened as I looked down and away from his face, trying to let his words sink in, but it was just so hard to take.

I shook my head in a failed attempt to shake my disapproving thoughts away. It was his life after all, not mine, but his safety and happiness meant too much for me not to care about their presence in said life, and I wasn't sure if a weak Arabian woman could do that for him.

"She makes you happy?" I whispered the question.

"Very."

I nodded my head and offered him a small smile.

"Tell me she's Catholic at least," I pleaded, looking into his eyes, eyes that failed to hide the truth from me when they were lowered to look away from mine.

"You've got to be kidding me, Jasper!" I said a bit loudly.

"She – She's not Christian, Marie."

_What on earth?!_

"Excuse me? What do you mean she's not Christian?"

_That's just not right._

He kept staring at the floor.

"Oh, my God! She can't be what I think she is, can she?" I asked in shock. I shouted another _'Oh, my God'_ when he kept his head lowered and avoided eye contact.

I was mad. Really, really mad.

"A Muslim, Jasper? Seriously? A terrorist?"

"She's not a terrorist. Don't speak of her that way, you don't even know her," he snapped.

"Wow! Really? Because as far as I know Arabs do nothing but kill others – and each other as well!"

"How did you even come to believe that, huh?"

"I've heard about it all of my life!" I defended.

"Are you being serious right now, Marie? Heard about it? Can you even hear yourself? You've never met one, not a single one. Yet you're so okay with judging them, even accusing them of being things they are not."

"How wonderful! They've brainwashed you!"

"Stop it!" he yelled, shocking me with the unfamiliar tone in his voice that he never spoke to me with. "I'm sick of your shallow thoughts. You've always believed that without any clue if it was true or not, and absolutely nothing to put your hands on in those thoughts."

"I can go on for years with proof that Arabs are nothing but anima-"

"Watch your mouth, Marie, I won't be taking any of this, not anymore.''

"For her?"

"Not only for her, for the months I spent there and saw nothing from them but pure kindness and generosity. It's only fair to speak about them based on the facts I witnessed with my own eyes, not just gossip I've heard."

I think it was the very first time I knew what it meant to be shocked into silence, because the words wouldn't form on my tongue no matter how much I wanted to let them out and free. I kept opening my mouth and closing it, not able to utter one word.

I didn't know if his words were true or not. I was well educated and a smart person; I had an open mind. I refused to think that I was racist or anything like that, because I really wasn't, but when it came to Arabs and Islam, I just had to stop thinking of any good thought. I'd always understood they weren't the nice and kind people Jasper was trying to make me believe they were. It didn't mean I was shallow. I always thought deeply about everything, and my theories were based on the crimes and cruelty I'd seen the media talking about all my life. It was just impossible for it not to be true.

But the look in my brother's eyes when he talked about her – he really loved her, but was love really that blind that he couldn't even sense rubbish when it hit him in the face? I wasn't sure.

I got up from the sofa and paced the room back and forth a few times, moving my hands through my hair in frustration every once in a while. I was still not able to believe that my brother fell for a Muslim – an Arabian one at that. What would our parents think of it?

I stopped in front of him and looked down to his sitting form, then asked again, "She makes you happy?" It was the only thing that really mattered, I'd come to realize. My brother's happiness was more important than anything else. It was his life, so it was his decision. It was the right thing to support him in whatever he wanted as long as he thought it would make him happy. His happiness was truly the only thing that really mattered. Supporting him was my duty, even if I didn't approve.

He looked up at me, a pleading look in his eyes as if he was silently begging me for something I didn't even know. "She does. Like no other," he whispered.

I paused for a few moments before I nodded. "When is the wedding?" I had to ask.

"In four days."

"Four days? Really?"

"I–I came here only to get you."

"Wow!" I said for what felt like the hundredth time in less than an hour. "Aren't you rushing it?"

"It can't be delayed." He looked down again.

"You're head over heels about her, Big Bro, aren't you?" I smiled the best I could even if I still wanted to go somewhere alone and scream my head off.

"Completely," he replied almost instantly.

I nodded again, then shook my head less than a moment later.

"What's her name?"

"Alice."

"Alice? I didn't know that was an Arabian name."

"It's not. Her name is Alica, but the first time she told me her name I thought I'd misheard her and asked her if it was Alice. She tried to tell me how to pronounce Alica the right way but she said I made it sound funny when I said it. She lets me call her Alice, saying she likes it as much as her real name." He shrugged, his eyes smiling as he told me the little story about his _princess_.

A real princess.

The delight was back in his eyes with that spark that showed how much he actually loved her as he spoke those few words about her. I was completely sure by then that he really loved her and it wasn't just a thing that would soon be over like most of his hookups.

She truly did make him happy.

And it was all that mattered.

"Then let's start getting ready to meet your Alice."

**~BK~**


	4. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

**Isabella Marie**

The things we do for love …

Here I was sitting on a plane, even if it was the thing I most hated to do. It had everything to do with what had happened to my parents. I think I had developed some kind of phobia towards airplanes since the accident. But it was my brother's wedding, so it was impossible not to be there. I wouldn't miss it for the whole world. And if it took me two hundred hours sitting on this thing, I was willing to do it in a heartbeat.

I'd always known that I would do anything for my brother. I'd even take a bullet for him if things came to that, no questions asked.

I took a sip of my warm soda that I'd been holding in my hands for more than an hour, clinging onto it and staring at the fancy cup for distraction. The anxiety I was feeling wasn't a nice feeling at all, but I had to be at the wedding. It was Jasper's.

Jasper's wedding.

The words felt strange even in my mind, not only on my tongue. It seemed that everything was happening so fast and so rushed that it almost made my head spin. He said it was love at first sight, and even though I'd never believed in such a thing, I believed him.

He'd told me all of these nice things about his Alice: how they met – which was so strange I might add – and how they spoke for the first time. He'd told me about her blush and her dark eyes and very pale skin. He's talked of her very long and silky dark-as-the-night hair – his words not mine – and he went on and on about her so much that at some point I thought I'd fallen asleep because I spent so much time only listening and not talking.

I had no idea how he had seen her hair, though. I thought all Muslims covered their hair? Whatever.

Our pilot announced that we were about to land, and I felt my heartbeat going crazy, while my heart itself was going crazy with fear. My hand moved on its own to my chest, clutching the silver cross that was hanging from my necklace for dear life.

"Our father in heaven ..." I started praying in soft whispers, my eyes closed tightly as fear crept into my insides along with my heart and mind. My breaths tangled and I started having a mini-panic attack. If it wasn't for Jasper's hand squeezing my free hand, I don't know how I would've gotten through this landing.

I couldn't wait to get off that plane, but I had to take a few minutes to make sure that after so many long hours sitting there bored and scared at the same time that I looked decent, at least. After all, I was going to meet a princess shortly, and most likely a royal family as well.

Jasper wasn't happy with me forcing him to wait until I dressed before we left the jet. He'd told me to do it as we were still flying, half an hour before landing, but there was no way I was going to move around in that thing as it flew through the air. It was just a no go for me. He had to wait.

I dressed in a long, short-sleeved summer dress with a loose skirt. The V-neck dominating the top of the dress wasn't that low cut. It looked nice; I always felt good wearing navy blue, so it was my favorite color in clothes. I let my hair fall down on my shoulders and around my back in straight locks, then added a slight blush and a little bit of light, rosy lip gloss.

When I stepped out of the jet's bedroom, Jasper was standing by the door, anxiously waiting for me. I wanted to tease him about how love had turned him into a nervous mess, but decided to take it easy on him. He looked on edge enough.

"Marie," he smiled. "You look beautiful."

"Why, thank you, Big Bro. You don't look so ba-" I was cut off by him offering me a piece of cloth, a baby blue one.

"Would you please wear this?" he asked.

"What it is?" I frowned as I took the cloth from him and looked at it. "A scarf?"

"Well, yeah. Kind of," he replied.

"But I'm sure it's really hot out there. I won't need it," I pointed out.

"Uh, it's not to be put around your neck, it's, uh – it's to cover your hair with."

"What? You mean like Muslims?" I asked in shock. "You've got to be kidding me," I almost yelled when he didn't reply.

"Marie, please, just put the thing on," he sighed.

"Did they tell you to force me into wearing this?"

"I'm not forcing you into wearing anything. It's fine if you don't want to, but it's a sign of respect."

The anger and upset I'd been trying to get over since my brother told me about his upcoming wedding started to boil over again as I fisted the stupidly soft material in my hand.

Why should I show respect by covering my hair? Why were women supposed to cover their hair anyway? It was utterly stupid and I refused to look like their laws had anything on me. I refused to be manhandled by anyone like the rest of the women here; it was not going to happen.

"Good, because I'm not wearing the stupid thing," I spat and passed him after throwing the thing to rest in his hand again, making my way to the exit.

"Are you coming?" I looked over my shoulder, and the sight of him looking at the stupid thing in sorrow made my insides tighten. He looked so sad. For a moment I wondered why something so insignificant would affect him that much, but I couldn't just go on my way knowing it meant as much to him as it obviously did.

I shook my head and huffed, taking a few steps back to him and taking the cloth from him. "Fine," I said harshly. "But I'm not happy about it." I straightened the stupid thing in my hands and put it loosely over my head and shoulders.

It wasn't until I had it on that a memory flashed in my mind, not exactly a memory but more like something I'd seen on TV years ago. It was when Hillary Clinton was visiting this very same country and putting a similar thing over her own head. Hillary Clinton was one of the most powerful women I've even known, so strong and effective. I couldn't imagine her being manhandled by anyone, and I thought that maybe Jasper was right after all – it could be only a sign of respect.

That very thing lead me to notice just how important the people I was going to meet were, for someone like Hillary Clinton to visit them more than one time to discuss things that were important to both countries.

With a sigh, I put my shades on; I didn't want them to see the rage in my eyes since it wouldn't be 'respectful' or whatever. I had to show my brother's in-laws that I wasn't disrespectful – no matter how much I despised their religion or loathed their race.

_Crap! Did I just say 'race'?!_

_My God!_

Down the stairs of the plane, we were greeted by a large number of people. Well, men to be clear. Not even one woman in sight. Most of them were dressed in those weird dresses that Jasper had told me was their official custom, called Galabiah. All of their 'dresses' were really, really, really, REALLY white – it was almost blinding. Above their head was some kind of scarf shaped in a neat way that was either white or white in red. On top of it or in the middle – I wasn't sure – was a thin black circle that I assumed was holding it in place.

I couldn't deny that with the tan, bronzed or pale skin they had that they were very handsome, with the dark eyes and dark hair that was on either their chins or above their lips, or both – if not a complete beard.

They shook my hand politely with a nod of their heads and a small smile as I passed one after another in the line they'd made, mesmerized by their tall frames and built forms – there were hardly any of them that weren't fit.

My lips were pressed into a line as I offered a tight smile in greeting to each one of them. My mouth fell slightly agape as I felt like I was shocked by electricity when I shook hands with the last one.

My eyes darted from our joined hands up to his face. The words 'very handsome' wouldn't do him justice. He was a sight to look at, an attractive young man with pale skin. A soft gasp escaped my parted lips when I looked into the bright green garden that was his eyes, eyes that were trapped by thick long lashes that were a beauty in and of themselves. His soft features were toughened by the sharpness of his jaw, a jaw that was growing dark brown hair that was more like scruff than a beard, and no sign of a mustache where it should be.

His own lips parted slightly when I took off my sunglasses with my free hand to get a better look at his outstanding features. He stared into my eyes for a few moments before his lips formed the most beautiful crooked smile I've ever seen in my whole short life, bright teeth shining like pearls when his smile widened a bit. The very same smile that was so infectious that I couldn't not smile brightly back at him, a smile that widened even more when he offered me a bouquet of red roses that looked more like the kind you'd pick from a garden in heaven.

Bitterly, I released his hand and took the bouquet from him, whispering a small 'thank you' which he returned with another smile, his hand moving to push the white in red material that was above his head with the tips of his fingers.

My own smile fell at the motion, for it made me realize who I was standing in front of, or better yet – what he was.

An Arab.

An Arab, and most likely to be Muslim, as well.

It was then that I noticed that his bright green eyes were darkened by secrets I knew were hidden there somewhere, by the toughness and cruelty I was so sure he was trying his hardest to hide. But I was no fool. I knew he wasn't someone I should have any thought of attraction to or see the beauty in, because I just knew he was anything but on the inside.

I just knew it in my heart, and my heart could always tell.

I went on with my way.

**~BK~**

It had only been less than a day since I set foot in the country and I already felt like I was going to go crazy.

Traditions, traditions, and then more traditions.

Come the heck on! I was bored stupid.

When we first arrived we were ushered into some kind of private hotel. It felt as if was almost empty aside from the staff, which were all men I might add. I started to think that there were only men in this country, but then thought it would be stupid of me to think so, because how on earth would men be here if it wasn't for women?

I was on edge the whole frigging time, and again, I was pretty sure I'd lose my sanity if it wasn't for Jasper hardly ever leaving my side.

In our suite, we were offered a huge amount of food constantly – enough to feed the army of two or three countries. It seemed like a never ending story of people entering our suite to drop off more food and take away hardly touched plates. It felt weird to see all of those men looking at the ground, like slaves. I hated it. It made me feel bad, so bad beyond words.

Jasper told me that they'd let us rest. We should be starting our day in the morning; they'd let us know exactly when. I hated that, too. Jasper and I were to be some kind of family to them soon, so why wouldn't any of the royal family meet us now? _That_ was disrespectful.

To be honest, when I put my head on the pillow and slept like a rock almost instantly, I was very grateful for the space they'd offered us. I really needed that rest after the long hours in the plane.

When the sun rose, Jasper woke me up, and I hugged him and wished him the best wishes I could think of. My heart was breaking for the fact that he was going to get married in a few hours without a father or a mother or even a friend, nothing but a sister that loved him more than the whole world.

I respected his wish of not telling any of our friends about the wedding, saying it was a sensitive matter given who his in-laws were. We would let the world know about it when they were ready. There was no one important to us besides each other anyway, so it wasn't even worth telling.

Out of nowhere, Jasper started crying over my shoulder, whispering so many times that he loved me so much and that he only wanted the best for me, that he would never put me into anything if he thought I'd be in danger for even a moment.

I didn't know what to think about that, and it broke my heart some more to see him like that. I realized that maybe he was sorry for bringing me into a country he knew I hated to be in, where I was thinking I'd be in danger or fear for both of our lives.

I assured him that as long as we had each other, nothing else would matter.

"I'll hold you to that," he told me.

I offered him a smile as my chest tightened with a confusion that was uncalled for, a confusion some of his words had caused, a confusion I hid from him so well. Today was his wedding day, after all.

**~BK~**

Only a few hours before the wedding and I'd yet to meet the bride. I couldn't wait to meet the girl who'd captured my brother's heart and stole the sleep from his eyes. I had no picture or anything like that of her, only the perfect image Jasper had drawn in my head.

To say I almost danced when I heard a female's voice would be an understatement. It turned out to be a lady that was to assist me to some kind of a spa that was only for women. The lady was covered literally from head to toe with black, only brown-lined-with-thick-kohl eyes and pale hands were showing, and nothing more.

In the spa, the lady took off the dark, er, robe? she was wearing, and underneath it she was wearing jeans and a very stylish blouse; I thought she looked really pretty. I was greeted by the manger, and the lady who gave me her name as Kareen told me with her thick accent that I could get whatever I wanted. It was a nice thing for them to offer, to be honest. I got a massage and my nails done as well as my hair.

I was then brought to a table that I knew very well was for something I didn't like to do. Ever.

"Um, I'm not going to do this," I told Kareen.

"Uh, but it's a tradition, Miss Marie," she replied with her thick accent.

_Tradition? What on earth? Why should the soon-to-be-sister-in-law __**wax**__?!_ I wondered.

_Weirdoes!_

"I'm sorry, but no, I don't do it, and I won't."

Kareen was really shocked by that; I didn't know why. It looked as if she wanted to say something; however, she just smiled and nodded.

When I was done with everything, I thought it was time to put on my dress that I had bought just two days before we left. But when I told Kareen, she told me that my dress was already waiting for me.

I didn't want to sound ungrateful or anything, but I also didn't like that someone had bought me something that I might not like. Though, I thought that maybe it had something to do with the way the bride wanted things, so I didn't say anything.

Inside the room I was to get dressed in, I saw a very beautiful wedding dress on a hanger. It was white with shining pearls and diamonds, and I assumed it was my brother's fiancée's. I thought she was really lucky to wear it; it was breathtaking.

"Where is my dress?" I asked.

"This one, Miss Marie." She pointed to the wedding dress.

_WHAT?!_

Why was I to wear a wedding dress?

**~BK~**

_**This chapter with pics is already posted on the blog (Link is in my profile) and chapter 3 will be up there in a few.**_

_**Thanks for reading.**_


	5. Chapter 3

**(SM) owns Twilight.**

**(CozItRunsInMyBlood) owns the plot.**

**(RobzBeanie) is a lifesaver and she beta this.**

**(GrandeDame) is my soul-mate and per-reader.**

**Chapter 3**

**Isabella Marie**

"Uh, this is for me?" I asked Kareen.

"Yes, Miss Marie," she replied.

A frigging wedding dress?

"But, I, uh, I think it's not appropriate for me to wear that."

_I mean, it's supposed to be only the bride wearing something like that._

"Of course it is, Miss Marie. It's a tradition."

That word again! It was really beginning to get on my nerves. I was seriously nearing the point where I'd consider telling her that I couldn't care less about their stupid, meaningless traditions.

But after refusing the weird request of being waxed, I didn't feel like refusing another tradition would be nice. After all, I've been met by nothing but kindness since I arrived here. Fake kindness, I knew, but still …

"Okay," I sighed.

The dress needed a little work to fit properly, since it was a little loose in the waist and chest area, but other than that, it looked and felt perfect.

Looking at myself in the mirror – I just couldn't take it. I looked like a bride, and I didn't like it. It wasn't my wedding, it was my brother's. In my opinion, it wasn't fair for me to be wearing this; only the bride was supposed to wear something as beautiful as this.

I wanted out of the dress.

And that was what I did.

As hard as she tried to hide how displeased she was, I could still see it on Kareen's face that she wasn't happy with me refusing to keep the dress on. It just felt wrong, and I had to do it. She just had to get over it.

I wore my silver dress that was brought to me from my room as I'd requested, and only then did I feel like I was wearing something appropriate.

Looking in the mirror, it felt right.

Kareen was about to say something when we heard a knock. She said something loudly in Arabic that I supposed was directing the person to come in, because that was what happened shortly thereafter. A young girl entered and smiled at me, which I returned before she spoke with Kareen. The conversation went back and forth and I didn't like the fact that I wasn't aware of what they were talking about, but I was pretty sure I heard the word 'Ameera' more than one time. It seemed like it was her name from the way she was saying it and Kareen was responding.

When the girl left, Kareen informed me that she should go get ready for the wedding and see if _Alica_ needed her to do anything.

Seems like my brother was _really_ pronouncing his fiancée's name wrongly, since it seemed way different when Kareen said it.

"Sure," I nodded. "Wait, I wanted to ask," I paused and Kareen smiled, "Is your name is really Kareen?"

"Yes, of course, Miss Marie," she replied. "But, if I may ask, why are you asking that?"

"Well, nothing. It's just that I heard that girl calling you Ameera more than once, so I thought it was your name. I think I was mistaken."

"Oh, it's alright. Ameera is my title, though."

_Title?_

I think Kareen was able to see the confusion on my face because she explained, "Ameera means Princess, Miss Marie."

My eyes widened at her words. _Princess? Kareen was a princess? She just helped me dress, for God's sake! I thought she was, er, the help or something._

"Uh … You're a princess?" I asked in a low voice.

"Yes." She smiled.

"Wow!"

"Uh, why is that so hard to believe?"

"Um, I'm sorry, it's just that-" _what to say?_ "I thought that I still hadn't met any of the royal family yet, is all." _Good escape, Marie._

Confusion appeared on Kareen's face as she frowned. "No one met you at the airport?" she asked in a shock.

"No, there were about ten guys there waiting for us," I told her.

"Oh, you scared me for a second," she sighed a sigh of relief, and I frowned. "All of those were princes, Miss Marie, so you've already met a lot of the royal family."

My eyes widened even more and my eyebrows shot up. All of those men were princes? And they were waiting for us? The beautiful guy is a prince? Of course he is. He's too handsome not to be.

_And he gave me roses._

I blushed at the memory, and I think I was dazed as well for a moment, but another question came to my mind that I had to ask.

"All of those men were your brothers?"

There were over ten!

"Oh, no, they were my cousins. I only have three brothers and they are studying abroad."

"They won't attend their sister's wedding?"

"Alica? Alica is not our sister, she's our cousin."

"But I thought you said you're a princess, and so they are!"

"Anyone in the whole kingdom with my last name is a prince or a princess, Miss Marie. That is, if they are not the king or his wife," she explained.

"Oh!" I went silent as it registered in my mind what she'd just said. "It was – nice of them. And you too, Kareen, helping me and all," I said awkwardly.

"It was our pleasure, Miss Marie."

"Please, call me Marie."

"Sure," she smiled. "I'll be calling you Ameera soon anyway." With a wink and her confusing words, Kareen left me before I could ask what she'd meant by that.

**~BK~**

More princesses came to entertain me before the ceremony started. They were as nice as Kareen, and tried so hard to make small talk, which I tried to keep going so as not to be rude. But I would never forget the looks on their faces when they saw the dress I was wearing. They tried to hide it, but I was always able to read people, and they weren't so hard to read.

They made me feel as if my dress wasn't good enough just by their confused and disapproving looks.

Their dresses were really pretty and I was sure they were expensive, but mine was no less pretty – or cheap; I paid over seven grand for the thing. But honestly, I didn't care; they just had to live with it, like Kareen did. They were wearing colored dresses, not wedding dresses like they wanted me to wear – why should I be any different?

When it was time to start the ceremony, I was sent to a different room with the girls. They then put some kind of robe over me that was white and covered with pearls and golden decorations. There was a hoodie attached to it that they put on my head as well. I was worried about it messing up my hair but they assured me it wouldn't. I was convinced when they put on robes as well, but they were black with no decorations on them, and completely covered them – their faces as well.

I hated that I didn't know what was going to happen after that as we waited for what I didn't know, while hearing the sound of drums and other musical instruments coming from outside.

_Why didn't I google this before we came?_

The doors were opened and I was met by a room that was being opened at the same time. Standing in it was a group of women that mirrored the group I was standing with, other than the first one was wearing a white wedding dress with a robe on top of it just like the one I was wearing. I immediately knew she was my brother's bride. I wished I could see her face, but it was completely covered just like the rest of the women.

Weirdly, it made me feel _exposed_ for some reason.

From our side, and as the music got louder, another door was opened, revealing a huge number of men. In front of them was my brother, dressed in one of those white gelbabs all of the guys were wearing, along with the white in red thing over his head.

I bit my lip not to laugh because he looked so funny, and the thought _'the things we do for love'_ came once more into my head. When his eyes met mine, I mouthed, _'What on earth are you wearing?_' and he mouthed back, _'Shut up!'_ trying to stifle his own laugh. I guess he had caved for their traditions, but he was the groom, so he should; I was merely the soon-to-be-sister-in-law. No big deal.

My eyes drifted to the man standing beside him. My breath was caught in my throat when I realized he was the green-eyed prince. He was even more handsome than yesterday, if that was possible. So very handsome, it hurt. A smile was decorating his face as he gazed at me with so many things I wasn't able to read, emotions that I had a strong feeling were directed at me.

For a moment or two, and as I looked at him, I think I forgot what he was. But it wasn't long before I remembered exactly what he represented, and looked away.

The wedding started as we were standing there with a team of male dancers that were wearing gelbabs as well, only grey and a bit different from the rest of men. They were really good at what they did, and their voices were nice as they sang together while they moved around in a fascinating way, even if I couldn't understand what they were saying.

Whenever my eyes caught the green-eyed prince I found his on me. He'd smile and I'd look away, but not long after I'd look again, and find him with the same smile and warm look.

When the dancers retreated, I watched as Japer went to where Alica was standing and stood beside her. She hooked her arm with his when he offered it, and I smiled as I saw the adoration in my brother eyes as he looked at her hidden form.

When my eyes on their own went back to glance at _him_, he wasn't there. I found him to be standing right beside me, offering me his arm just like Jasper had done with his bride. I stared at it for a few moments before I hooked my arm with his, a strange feeling consuming me – a feeling I couldn't put my finger on.

Maybe it was fear. I had feared his kind all of my life, so it was only believable that I'd feel fear being so close to one of them.

He directed me to walk to the other side, opposite from where the men had come, and from there we entered a bigger hall. It was obvious that it was where we would sit since it was full of fancy tables with fancy chairs around them. Two nice sets of chairs dominated a higher area in the corner. They looked more like thrones rather than just fancy chairs, and I thought for sure that they were to be where the king and queen would sit.

My thoughts were proved wrong right away when the prince directed me to them as well as Jasper and Alica. We turned to face everyone after we stood by the thrones, and the women stood by the tables where the men had stayed behind by the huge door we'd come from.

Music with drums and other instruments filled the place around us as we stood there, arms still linked and smiles filling Jasper's and the prince's faces, as well as mine. If Alica was smiling too I couldn't see it, but I had a feeling she was.

When that song ended, Green-eyes smiled before letting me go and walking away with Jasper. Once they left, the door was closed and more lights filled the room as well as more music.

Suddenly, there was no hint of a single man, they just disappeared, all of them – along with every black robe in sight.

It seemed that I was standing in a very different place from the one I was just in not two minutes ago. The women that filled the hall could be easily mistaken for models and celebrities. Well, I know they could really _be_ celebrities, given this was a royal wedding after all, but I was talking about their clothes. Their dresses belonged in a fashion magazine; they were perfect. Their makeup, their hair and accessories – everything was just perfect.

I found hands on my collar, unbuttoning the only button that held my robe together and helping me out of it. I realized it was Kareen and as weird as it was, I felt a sense of longing when I saw her. It was just so nice to see a familiar face.

I smiled as I thanked her, my eyes traveling right away to the form beside me. A smile formed on my lips when I saw a girl taking off Alica's robe, revealing a lovely dark-haired and pale-skinned beautiful girl.

Her robe was off almost the same second mine was, too. And at this moment I heard the strangest noises coming from in front of me – the women.

My hand caught my cross right away as fear crept into my heart at the sound that seemed like screams. I looked at them with wide eyes and a shocked expression as those noises they were making went on for what seemed like ages. As much as it frightened me, I couldn't deny that it sounded somehow musical.

"Marie." Hands held my own and immediately I was soothed by the nice grip they had on mine. I looked at the owner to find the beautiful thief who'd stolen my brother's heart smiling brightly at me. I was easily able to see her brown eyes dancing with the happiness filing them. "I've heard so much about you." She pulled me into her body and hugged me tightly; you could never imagine someone as small as her could have such strength to hug this hard.

"Alica, I'm so happy to finally meet you," I said once we pulled back.

_If you only knew what I'd told my brother when I heard about you …_

"Me, too. You have no idea." Her smile was brilliant. "But before anything else, I need you to call me Alice, the way you're pronouncing my name is as weird as how your brother says it," she chuckled.

Her words made me blush and giggle at the same time, and right then I believed Jasper's words when he told me that I too would fall in love with her. She was already making her way into my heart.

It was crazy …

"Alice it is," I told her, finding myself in her arms as she hugged me one more time.

"Thank you, Marie," she whispered. "I can never thank you enough. I'll always owe you with my life."

The distance between my eyebrows shrunk as I frowned. I thought she was making a huge deal of me coming to the wedding. It was my brother's wedding after all; _I wouldn't miss it for the world._

When she pulled away again, she spoke before I could reply to her. "I'm sorry you didn't like the dress I picked out for you. It was really the best of the best, and I wish I'd known more about what you'd prefer." She seemed genuine about her apology and it made me feel like poop.

I noticed that Alice was full of energy and had a very light spirit, because again before I could reply, she spoke again, "Oh, my God! Mazen looked so precious as he stood beside you. I think it's the very first time I've ever seen shyness in my brother's eyes," she giggled.

_Mazen?_

_Green-eyed prince?_

_Shyness?_

Not able to reply once more, this time I was cut off by Kareen whispering to us that we needed to sit down.

I can't lie, I had no idea that something as simple as a chair could make you feel the way this throne was making me feel. It was really nice that the groom's sister was so important like that for them.

My thoughts kept drifting to Mazen and the way I felt with his closeness. I thought I was able to understand all the fuss about me then. Since they treated the bride's brothers that way, they surely treated the groom's sister the same – that was why I was so important, right?

Women started dancing in groups as a small stage across from us was filled by no more than five women singing together in the sweetest voices. It was amazing, and I was once more disappointed I couldn't understand any of it.

Alice took me to some of the tables and introduced me to princess after a princess, and a former queen as well. I learned it was Kareen's mother who'd given her title to her sister-in-law (her brother-in-law's wife) when her husband died, the sister-in-law that was now my brother's mother-in-law.

The queen gave me a polite smile but didn't say anything. I didn't want to think of it as she didn't like me, because maybe she didn't speak English, is all.

It was confusing as to why I was to sit on a throne while the queen sat just like anyone else at one of the tables. I didn't think much of it; their traditions were giving me a headache.

After we ate wonderful food and drank amazing drinks, I noticed women putting on their robes. I knew then that the wedding party was coming to an end. It just felt so weird that my brother had spent so little time with his bride, and seriously, it was kind of unfair.

Talking with Alice was so easy. She made it feel like it was the easiest thing in the world by telling me that we were going to be best friends. I really liked the sound of that. I was never able to feel that pull toward some girl to become my best friend; Jasper was my best friend and all I needed. However, I knew that it was just a matter of days before I'd leave and if it wasn't for the fact that Jasper might bring her to the US, I might not see her again at all.

I had to ask her if she was annoyed by the fact that she'd celebrated her wedding alone. She told me that she was celebrating it with every important person in her family and her friends, and later she'll have Jasper to celebrate their union for the rest of their lives.

I thought it was sweet.

I was surprised to see the doors being opened before Alice or I had a chance to put on our robes. I mean, weren't we supposed to wear them when men were around? Wasn't that the tradition? Everyone else was wearing one!

My surprise turned into confusion when I saw that only Jasper and Green-eyes had entered the hall, and the doors were immediately closed behind them.

They stood in the same place they were before they'd left, and then two women holding small boxes that seemed like the kind you'd put jewelry into stood beside them.

Green-eyes offered me his hand and I took it. He pulled me up so I was standing and I noticed with the corner of my eye as Jasper did the same with Alice.

One box after another was opened, holding so much jewelry – as I'd expected – inside of them. All of it was placed on my fingers, wrists, neck and even waist.

I felt as if the blood was going to burst out of my cheeks as my blush deepened more and more with every piece of jewelry Green-eyes put on me. I was almost covered with gold and diamonds when he was finished. Only my ring finger had yet to be filled. I appreciated the fact that he hadn't put anything on it; it would be beyond inappropriate.

When he was finished, one woman after another came to us and pinned my dress with a small bow that was attached to no less than a diamond.

A real diamond.

It wasn't like I had never worn diamonds before, but I'd never even seen this amount of diamonds before in my life. They were all on me, pinned to my dress, making my body so heavy that I was sure it'd be hard to walk.

I couldn't deny that this was the most generous act I'd ever received in my whole life. I couldn't stop smiling.

Soon, we were covered with our robes again, but this time when we left the room, it was my arm hooked with Jasper's, not Green-eyes.

We walked a little ways, followed by Kareen who was holding the empty boxes in her hands, then we entered an elevator that carried us up two floors. Kareen guided us to a door and we followed her when she entered.

We were in a huge bedroom that was open to what seemed like a living room, and in the corner was a door that I assumed led to the bathroom. All of the furniture looked magical, just like the kind you'd see in movies that were filmed in mansions or castles. _Wait …_

"Is this a mansion?" I asked Jasper once Kareen put the boxes on the dresser and left.

Jasper offered me a small smile, "I thought you knew, Marie; we've been in the king's palace since we arrived."

"No way!" I said. "I thought we were in a hotel or something."

"Well, we used the back gates since the ones in the front were busy."

I didn't know what busy meant with _busy_ and I wasn't going to ask. I had a more important question to ask. "Why are you with me and not with your wife?"

He sighed, "She's not my wife yet. Soon." He nodded. "Do you need help with those?" he asked, pointing at the diamonds around my dress.

"I'm to sleep in here?"

"Yes, Princess."

I smiled, "Please."

I went to stand by the dresser and opened one of the boxes. Jasper stood beside me and started helping me with unpinning the bows.

"You know that I love you, Marie, don't you?" he asked when we were almost done.

I looked at his reflection in the mirror and replied, "I do." I smiled.

"Do you love me, too?" he asked.

"Of course I do!"

_Why was he asking me that?_

"Marie – I, uh …"

"What is it?" Worry touched my heart at the expression on his face.

"Do you want to keep those on?" He touched the back of my necklaces.

"No, take them off," I told him as I started to take off the rings and bracelets as well.

I turned around when I was only in the robe over my dress and my necklace that held my cross charm. I gazed into his suddenly-filled-with-sadness eyes.

"Jasper?"

"Marie, there is something you need to do–" My brother was cut off by the sound of a knock, before the door was opened and an elderly man gazing at the floor entered.

"You ready?" the man asked.

I looked at Jasper with confusion when he replied with a _'yes' _then guided me to sit on the sofa beside him, across from the man who was sitting in one of the armchairs.

"Sign here, Benty," the man said as he opened the thick folder in his hands.

I looked down at the pages, but I couldn't read anything. It wasn't in English or Spanish, the only two languages I could speak, but there was a small picture of me on one side of the top of the page, and on the other side was a picture of – Green-eyes.

_What on earth?_

"Jasper?"

"Sign the papers, Marie." His eyes glistened with unshed tears. "Please," he begged.

"What are these about?" My voice cracked for some reason, as if I was already aware of what it was, but still not able to believe it.

"It's your marriage contract to Alice's brother."

**~BK~**

_**Benty = My Child / My Daughter.**_

_**Ameera = Princess.**_

…

**This chapter and the last are on the blog with pics. Chapter 4 is already up there as well.**

**Thanks for reading.**


	6. Chapter 4

**(SM) owns Twilight.**

**(CozItRunsInMyBlood) owns the plot.**

**(RobzBeanie) is a lifesaver and she beta this.**

**(GrandeDame) is my soul-mate and per-reader.**

**Chapter 4**

**Isabella Marie**

It wasn't shock that made me stare at my brother with a gaping mouth, it was confusion. It took me several moments to register what he really said before I asked, "Marriage? Me?"

"Would you please give us five minutes, Sheikh?" Jasper asked the elderly man, who nodded and left the room, leaving the folder behind him and closing the door.

"Marie, it's too important for you to do this. It's a life or death decision, believe me," Jasper pleaded.

"What do you mean, Jasper? You're telling me I have to get married? Right now? Are you insane?"

"No, I'm not insane, it's the _only_ solution."

"Solution for what? You're confusion me. What is this?"

"Listen to me, I can't marry Alice without you marrying Mazen. It's the law."

"Then don't marry her – are you out of your mind? I don't even know the guy, and I couldn't care less about their stupid law!" My voice was getting louder by the second. This was so ridiculous.

"Mazen is a great guy. I would've never agreed to this if I didn't know he'd treat you like a queen. Marie, just marrying him will make you a princess."

"I don't frigging care. I don't want to get married, I'm only twenty-two. I don't know the guy to even like him, and he's an Arab, Muslim! I'd never want to consider him as a remote relative, let alone a husband! And, you're taking my childhood dream of being a princess way too seriously, Jasper!"

My brother left his spot on the sofa and got down on his knees in front of me, his eyes begging me with everything in them to hear him out, to do what he wanted me to do. But it was so insane! I wasn't even ready yet to seriously think about the fact that he was even suggesting it.

"Marie, I'm in love with Alice. I have to marry her, there is no other option," he spoke in a low voice.

"Are you kidding me right now? It has nothing to do with me if you're in love with an Arab with stupid traditions. Who do you think you are? Who gave you the right to put me into this position? Huh?"

"Listen to me," he said forcefully, his voice as low as he could get it to be. "Alice is pregnant. It's mine. If I don't marry her, they'll kill her, Marie, do you understand? They'll kill her and consider her as if she was never born!"

I gaped at him with wide eyes, my mind trying to take in what he was saying. Alice was pregnant? He did it? They'll kill her?

_Oh, my God!_

"You freaking idiot!" I punched him on the shoulder, not so hard but hard enough to let him know that I was completely upset with him and his actions. "You knocked her up? Where are your frigging manners? Mom and Dad are so ashamed of you, I'm sure of it."

"Marie! We don't have time for this, you have to sign the papers."

"I'm not signing anything; this is your problem, not mine."

"How could you be so selfish? I'm telling you they'll kill her! They could kill me as well!"

"Kill _you_?"

"Of course they would! Do you think they'll let the one who caused her death go?"

"Isn't that what I've been telling you, Jasper? Arabs kill people, Muslims do as well. And you go like the stupid man you are and knock up one that is _both_!"

"We have no time for this," he said again, so impatiently this time.

"Why do I have to marry her brother anyway? Is everyone here married to each other's brothers and sisters?"

"They have to take blood for blood," he said as a matter of fact.

"Blood for blood? What do you mean? Isn't that when you kill somebody? Oh, my God! You took someone's blood?"

"Not the blood you think, Marie. I, uh, I took her virginity."

My eyebrows were furrowed for just a moment after he spoke, before they shot up to my hairline when I understood what he meant.

"You freaking jerk! How could you? How could you?!" I punched him with both of my fists on his chest as he knelt in front of me and took it all with his head down, a look of regret and sorrow covering his entire face.

He should be more than sorry.

"Sign the papers," he said after he reached behind himself, took the folder off the table, and handed it to me.

"I'm not signing anything; you're delusional!" I jerked the folder away, shoving it into his chest and resting my back on the back of the sofa, folding my arms over my chest and looking down at him with disgust pouring out of my eyes.

Minutes passed as we stayed frozen like we were. The only sound around us was our frustrated if not slow breaths, along with the fading music coming from outside with the strange noises the women kept on making every once in a while.

Finally, Jasper stood up, then looked down at me and glared. He seriously had the nerve to glare at me when it should be me doing all of the glaring. Not like I wasn't glaring back or anything, because God knows I was doing it pretty well.

Suddenly, Jasper shoved his hand down into his pocket at the same moment his other hand fisted my hair and yanked it back, hard.

The next thing I knew was the feeling of cold metal pressed into my temple, then a click so close to my ear that my sudden fear of it made the sound almost painful.

A gun.

My brother had a gun pressed into my head, and he was ready to pull the trigger. To kill me. His sister.

"Jasper!" I gasped.

"I've been begging the fuck out of you to sign the fucking papers for the last fifteen minutes, but no way, you're so fucking full of yourself that you won't even consider saving the life of an innocent girl whose only mistake was falling in love with me."

My eyes widened even more at the tone and the curses my brother was using, a tone I'd never heard in his voice before in my whole life, let alone directed at me – me, of all people. My heart was pounding so hard against my chest that I was so sure it was going to burst out soon. My throat tightened as the tears choked me before falling out of my eyes. I was drowning in disbelief.

"And better yet, you're refusing a fucking prince, someone who could be the next king for this fucking kingdom. He has the money and the power as well as noble blood, but no, you think you're way better than this. You're so fucking selfish, Marie. I can't even find a word for your selfishness!"

"_I'm_ selfish?" I whispered through my tears. "And what do you call the one who's pointing the gun at his sibling here? Me or you? Who promised his sister to someone who's everything she's loathed her whole life just for him to marry the one he loves?"

"It's not about love, Marie, don't you get it? I could live with a broken heart, but not with her blood on my hands!"

I replied with more tears as I kept my eyes tightly closed. I couldn't look at his face, the _thing_ he had in his eyes was something I wished I would never see again. I wasn't even able to stand being close to him when he looked down at me like that.

"Sign the papers, Marie."

"Jasper, please."

"Sign the fucking papers, you selfish bitch!" he yelled at me.

I think at that moment, a part of my soul died at hearing his words. Jasper had never, ever called me a name, never. And hearing him saying that – it broke me.

I couldn't believe my own ears, couldn't believe I was actually awake; this was a horrible dream, a nightmare.

With a shaking hand, I picked up the folder and the pen off of the floor, searching for the blank spot where the man had motioned for me to sign it, and did just that.

I signed my name on five copies of the same contract, each holding my picture and the prince's.

I signed the papers that sold my soul to the devil.

I then was instructed by him to press my ink-smudged thumb to the end of my picture and the start of the paper.

My brother came behind me with the gun still pressed to the back of my head and called for the elderly man to come in, the man said it was not acceptable that I signed before he got to ask me if I agreed. Like that would matter. He then asked me if I approved on marring prince Mazen, and Jasper pressed the hidden-in-my-hair-and between-us gun more to my head.

I nodded.

"Please, speak loud, Benty,"

"I—do," broken plea was out of my mouth as I spoke the words.

When I was done, and the man left, Jasper moved the gun away from my head and let go of my hair. I could see with the corner of my eye as he put it back in his pocket. He then kneeled again in front of me and took my shaking hands in his.

"Thank you, Marie. I'll always owe you, for the rest of my life."

His words brought back Alice's almost-same words into my mind. Did she know about this? Of course she did. But the real question was: did she know I was being forced right now into giving up my life for hers?

I didn't know …

**~BK~**

By the time Jasper left the room and closed the door behind him, I was crying hysterically. I fell on my side on the sofa and cried my eyes out, holding my cross beside my heart for dear life, begging God for mercy, to give me the strength to withstand the betrayal of my brother.

I couldn't believe Jasper would really do this. And to me of all people?! What was going on in the world? What is this kind of world anyway?

_Oh, my God!_

I couldn't register the fact that I had just celebrated _my wedding_. I had just celebrated my wedding with people I didn't even know! How could I be so stupid? How come I didn't pick up on all of the signs that it was my own wedding party along with my brother's?

They gave me all of those diamonds just like they gave them to Alice. The prince put all of those jewels on me just like Jasper did with her. My arm was hooked to his as we walked to the hall. Just like our siblings.

They wanted me to wear a wedding dress. A freaking wedding dress. Kareen said it was a tradition. Of course it was. The bride should wear a huge, white wedding dress, not a silver one like the one I was wearing!

_A tradition._

Oh, my God! She said I had to wax as well? Why did they want me to wax? Was it for the fact that I'd be sleeping with the prince soon? Tonight?

_Oh, God! I'd never let that pig touch me!_

I shot up into standing position like the sofa was on fire and looked around, finally really taking the room in. The sheets on the bed were white with red rosebuds all over them, shaped like a giant heart.

_God! Oh, God!_

I felt a bit lightheaded as I imagined myself on that bed doing what they expected me to do.

I ran to stand next to the bed where I saw colored lights coming from a window on the wall beside it. I looked closely, searching for a way to escape from that window but found none since it was blocked by iron bars from the outside.

With hurried steps, I made my way to the door in the corner of the room, which turned out to be a bathroom just like I had expected – a freakily huge one, at that. I looked all over the bathroom for any sort of an exit but all of my efforts came out fruitless.

My hands came to my collar and I yanked the button that held my robe together over my body and let it fall to the floor; it was choking me. I gripped the same hair that my brother had just let go of not ten minutes earlier and groaned in frustration, my tears out of my control.

That was it. There was no way out for me. No way at all.

My eyes caught my reflection in the mirror and I didn't like what I saw. It was a sad girl with black tears running down her cheeks and a broken heart caused by her brother's unfaithfulness.

In my frustrated state, I didn't realize I had picked up a bottle of lotion from the counter and smashed the mirror with it until I saw the shattered pieces flying down to the floor.

Once I saw those broken pieces, a thought crept into my mind: _I have to hurt the prince._ There was no other way. I'd give up my own life before I gave up my body to him.

**~BK~**

After I washed my face and ran a brush through my hair, I sat on the edge of the bed, waiting for _him_.

I had a sharp piece of the mirror in my hand, holding it securely but carefully so as to not let it dig into my skin, hiding it with the robe I'd put on once again. I had no idea what I was going to do other than I was going to protect myself with it. There was no way I wasn't going to fight him; if it came down to it and he wouldn't be threatened, then I'd just have to hurt him, and I'd run away when he goes down. Once again I didn't know what I was going to do once I left this room, but at least I'd be out of it.

God will help me.

As expected, I heard a knock and immediately my heartbeat sped up. The door was opened just a moment after the knock without me telling him to enter the room.

What I didn't expect though, was that it wasn't a _him_ by the door, but a girl wearing black clothes who looked to be in her thirties or a bit older. She entered the room and closed the door behind her.

"Princess," she said, and bowed her head in a sort of nod.

_Princess. I'm a princess now. And not even slightly happy about it._

"I am Mona, your servant. Is there is anything I can help you with?" she asked with a heavy accent, but in perfect English nonetheless.

Servant.

I wanted to break the news to her, telling her that she'd be without a job soon, but held my tongue.

I shook my head.

"I can help you change your clothes, Princess."

"I'm fine," I said firmly.

"As you wish, Princess. Prince Mazen will be here shortly."

_Hallelujah!_

"If you need anything, just call my name," she said before leaving.

I held my breath as I kept staring at the door, waiting for it to be opened and reveal my never-going-to-be husband.

My heart started thumping again in my chest when I saw the knob turning and the stupid door being opened again.

The prince entered the room in all of his royal, handsome glory. I swallowed thickly as I watched him close the door then lock it.

_God! Oh, God!_

He flashed me a crooked smile that I was so sure had dropped many panties before, but it wasn't going to work with mine. Not tonight.

The prince came closer to me and my breath hitched as he made his way to the bed where I was sitting.

My husband.

He was my husband and I'd yet to hear one word out of his mouth.

How sad was that!

Once he was standing right in front of me, he reached for me with his hand. I tried my best not to flinch as it came closer to my body, clutching the broken piece of glass in my own hand under the robe.

He kept his hand in the air and I stared at it. He wanted me to put my hand in his, but I wasn't so sure I wanted to do that.

"Princess," he said, his voice softer than velvet – the first word I'd ever heard from him. A word that sent shivers down my spine.

I found my hand reaching for his without any effort from me. Looking up into his face when I was finally on my feet, I found him still smiling that dazzling smile of his. He was even more handsome than an hour ago if that was possible. I found myself wondering how I'd feel about him if he wasn't what he was, if he was something else instead of everything I despised. I could imagine myself easily falling for him, and I was the one who never fell for anybody.

It was crazy, the emotions inside me; it was crazy.

And not fair.

His other hand came up to my face and he brushed a wayward lock of hair out of my face. For some unknown reason, I found my eyes burning with my unshed tears, tears I had no idea why they were there in the first place.

"You're such a beauty," he said in a low voice, genuine admiration in his voice.

For a moment, I felt bad. Maybe he was nice after all, but – no way, I wasn't going to fall into his traps; it was only a mask, I knew it.

"My beautiful bride," he whispered. The thumb of the hand that was now touching my jaw made a soft brush over my cheek, close to my mouth, before his eyes left my own to focus on my lips.

I knew what was to come then. He wanted to kiss me. Well, he could dream as much as he wanted, but it wasn't going to be anything other than that – a dream.

"Isn't that uncomfortable?" He motioned with his eyes to my robe. His English was flawless; you could easily mistake him for a native English speaker, though he had a British accent. His hand that was touching my face made it to my collar and he fingered the slit that held the button in place, his eyes searching mine for permission to go on, really going on when I closed mine, refusing to meet his. Maybe he considered it just bashfulness, but it was nothing but me gathering the will to do what I wanted to do.

Once my robe fell to the floor, I raised my hand that held the blade-like piece and attempted to hurt the hand that was once more touching my neck. But before I was even close enough, his hand held my wrist and squeezed, tightly.

"What the hell?!" He looked at my hand that he held firmly in his with wide eyes and shock dominating his beautiful features.

"Let go of me,'' I screamed, tears streaming down my face. "Let go of me, you animal, I'll never be yours, never! Over my dead body!"

The prince's eyes widened even more at the sound of my words. It took him a few moments as he kept staring into my eyes, bright-green into clear-blue, confusion-filled into anger-consumed, before his other hand let go of my hand that he'd been holding all along. He yanked the broken piece out of my hand that he was gripping strongly, and threw it away then let go of both of my hands.

"Why did you agree to the marriage?" he said in a low voice.

"I never agreed to this, my brother forced me, don't you get it? I'd rather be dead and buried than be touched by your filthy Arabian hands!"

I thought anger would be the thing I'd see in his eyes when he heard what I said, but anger didn't come until later. It was hurt that filled his eyes. Hurt.

I felt a slight tingle in my chest, right where my heart beat and my blood pumped out to my body. Something stung inside me when I saw him looking so wounded in front of me. I had no idea what that feeling was. I had no idea why would I feel that way for a perfect stranger, someone I would never like to even be seen with, at that.

The prince walked away from me, leaving me standing right in front of the bed, and then he sat down in one of the arm chairs across from me.

I watched him as he dropped his head and buried it in his hands, his form screaming: broken. I hated that he looked like that. I hated that I was the reason for it. I hated that I hated it. I knew I shouldn't care, but I did.

Minutes later, I sat down on the edge of the bed again, watching him as he sat with his shoulders hunched and his head bent down. I would've given up an arm to know what he was thinking at that moment.

I didn't know what would I do from there, or what the prince would do after learning I didn't want him, and it was – scary.

Minutes passed and stretched into hours, hours passed as we sat like that, hardly ever moving. The music silenced at some point during the night, and the darkness faded and tuned into the bright light of the morning.

It was a knock on the door that made me aware of how scared I was, because I gasped loudly when I heard it, even though it wasn't that strong of a knock, but a very soft one.

The prince stood up and went to the door, saying a word in Arabic that I didn't understand. Mona replied with her name then he asked her something that she responded to with a quiet voice. His head turned in my direction and I saw anger flashing in his eyes as his nostrils flared, then he replied to her without moving his eyes away from mine.

The next thing I knew was him taking off the thing over his head and setting it on the arm chair. For a moment, I was mesmerized by his hair that I could see for the first time, a dark brown mess of locks that went in every direction when he released it from under that cover, locks that appeared to be so soft that my fingertips wanted to touch.

I woke up from my dazzled mind when he started unbuttoning the gelbab he was wearing. Fear consumed me and filled every cell of my body as I saw him take it off and throw it to the floor as he took a step closer.

Wearing only a white wife beater and white pants, he made his way to a huge serving dish of fruits that was placed beside a vase of roses on a round table in the middle of the room.

My eyes widened as I saw him take the knife that lay beside the fruit dish on the table. He took the few steps to where I was now standing by the edge of the bed, anger coming off of him in strong waves.

_He's going to kill me!_

_Oh, my God! I'm going to die. I'm going to die._

**~BK~**

_**Sheikh = Elder. Used mostly to describe a man with a great knowledge of Islam, like a Priest in Christianity.**_

_**Benty = My child / My daughter.**_

…

**Facts:**

**The trading siblings thing does not happen in Arabian countries, not because of traditions anyway. However, it does happen in **_**an**_** Islamic country. Though, it has **_**NOTHING**_** to do with Islam, it's just tradition.**

**It was a known fact for so many years in some countries that the girl who loses her virginity before marriage gets killed by her family. Sadly, some of it still happens until this day, which is disgusting in my opinion. Again, it has **_**nothing**_** to do with Islam, only sick traditions.**

…

_**AN: The blog is two chapters ahead.**_

_**Reviews would make me SO happy. JS. Thanks for reading.**_


	7. Chapter 5

**(SM) owns Twilight.**

**(CozItRunsInMyBlood) owns the plot.**

**(RobzBeanie) is a lifesaver and she beta this.**

**(GrandeDame) is my soul-mate and per-reader.**

**Chapter 5**

**Isabella Marie**

"No, no!" I shook my head frantically. "Please, don't! No!" I begged.

When he was only an inch away I gripped his hand that held the knife, wanting to move it away from me, but he was much stronger than me that I was barely able to move his hand.

I was just about to scream when he placed his other hand over my mouth. I stumbled and fell to the bed, forcing him down with me.

Tears were pouring out of my eyes as I screamed into his hand and begged with my heart for God to make him let go of me. I didn't want to die.

My heart almost stopped as he brought the knife near my face, and I was about to bite his hand when I saw that the knife didn't stop when it was near me. Instead, it kept moving up until it was on the shoulder of the hand that was over my mouth.

My kicks stilled and my screams stopped and my fear was replaced by confusion as I watched him placing the blade on his shoulder, his eyes never leaving mine. He didn't hiss or even flinch when the blade broke the skin where he pressed on it, blood escaping his freshly-cut wound.

With hate and venom lacing his voice he told me, "Don't you even, for a split second, think that I'm interested in a _filthy_ American who spreads her legs for the first man who buys her dinner."

I wasn't sure if the shock that was filling me had a thing to do with the fact that he said he wasn't interested in me in any way, or that he had called me a filthy American, or the fact that he accused me of sleeping with the first guy who'd offer me dinner. I only knew that I was too shocked to move at all. I was like a limp noodle; I didn't react with any objection when he pulled me up to my feet.

I think I was just grateful that I wasn't dead. Yet.

Red rosebuds flew everywhere and all over the room as he yanked the bed sheets up and fisted them in his hand. He then brought them up to his shoulder and patted his wound a few times until he was satisfied with the smudge of blood that had now formed on the white sheets, and walked back to the door – but not before shooting me a disgusted look.

He opened the door just a little and gave the sheets to whom I assumed to be Mona, making sure that his wound was hidden behind the door as he stood by it.

I was beyond confused by the act. Why would he cut his arm that way to put blood on the sheets? Why was he asked to give over a sheet that had blood on it anyway?

Then Jasper's words came to my mind: _'Blood for blood.'_

It was virgin blood that was supposed to be on those sheets. He wanted to make them believe that the blood was just that. He had hurt himself to make them believe it was my virginity!

But, why? Why didn't he just tell them the truth? Why would he want to cover up what really happened by lying to his family?

Lots of questions roamed all over my head, but my thoughts were interrupted by the prince going into the bathroom and slamming the door shut behind him.

I glanced back at the door to the room, the thought of opening it and just running seemed so sweet in my mind, but I knew someone could be out there. I didn't want to risk being caught without even beginning to really escape.

The prince came out of the bathroom, his wound now covered with a white bandage, his wife-beater gone. I had no idea why I looked at his chest, his tight muscles and perfect eight-pack abs. I swallowed thickly as I watched him moving around the room, a strange sensation going through me. Again, I wanted to believe it was fear, but I knew I couldn't lie to myself about it for too long. It was a new feeling I wasn't familiar with, and I had no idea if I really wanted to know what it was or not.

He put his gelbab on and left the room without even glancing my way, head thing in his hand.

I didn't know that I had been holding my breath, but when I heard the door being shut after him, I let out a big amount of air in a sigh of … _relief_, maybe.

Not a minute later and before I could move an inch from my spot, the door was opened again after a knock, though I hadn't given permission to its owner to come in.

Mona entered the room with a little box in her hand. She took one look at me and gasped, "Princess! You didn't have to wear your dress again, all you had to do was just call my name."

Maybe I was still shocked into not speaking after what the prince had said and done, because I didn't reply. After a moment of silence she spoke again, "I'll prepare the bath for you."

.

.

.

"Uh, why the water is brown?" I asked as I looked with disgust at the tub filled with unclear water and no soap in it at all, not even a few bubbles.

"It's herbs, Princess. It'll help you relax your muscles and remove any soreness you might be feeling," she explained.

_Soreness?_

_Why would she thinks I'm so-_

_Oh!_

I hopped into the tub, not very comfortable that I was naked in front of a stranger, but I noticed that she was avoiding looking at me until my body was completely under the water.

True to her words, the tension was leaving my body more and more as the minutes passed. It was very relaxing, especially since the ugly-looking herbs, surprisingly, smelled really good.

After the bath, I found that Mona had set out clothes for me. It was some sort of a dress but not really a dress; the end of it reached the floor and it was decorated in a way that was really breathtaking. It was love at first sight between me and the dress, as the golden color lining the dark red was just perfect. However, I still asked for my own clothes. I wasn't going to wear them since I really liked the dress, but I still wanted to know where they were and why I wasn't to wear them or pick out my own clothes.

"Just for the week, Princess. It's a tradition," Mona replied.

_Well, I'm not staying here for the week, my dear. I'm flying home really soon._

The cloth felt wonderful against my skin, so soft despite all of the decorations on the front and the back; it was amazing.

I had to convince Mona that I could do my hair by myself, because she made a big deal out of it, saying it'd be disrespectful of her to let me do it myself, whatever that meant.

"Queen Esmat will be with you shortly, Princess."

"Okay," I replied. "Wait, what?"

"Uh, the queen? A very short visit," she nodded.

"Why is she visiting me?"

_The prince told her!_

_Oh, my God!_

_She knows the blood is not mine and she's coming to kill me! God! Oh, God!_

"Tradition, Princess." And she was gone.

_It was a tradition for the queen to kill the new princess the day after the wedding?_

**~BK~**

"How are you doing, Benty?" Queen Esmat asked once she was seated in the arm chair.

"Uh, I'm doing fine, thank you," I said hesitantly as I eyed the box beside her, wondering if it had a weapon inside it.

_She speaks English after all …_

I tried not to think about the fact that she didn't talk to me last night at the wedding, or the fact that I didn't like the way she was looking at me.

"Glad to hear," she said, her voice not really giving away the assurance that her words were.

We went into a very awkward silence which I didn't like just as much as I didn't like her stare. There was something about that woman I just couldn't bear. She was sending me huge waves of negative energy that were too much for my liking.

Our minutes of silence were over the second she huffed and shook her head. I frowned at her behavior but still said nothing. She then reached for the box that she'd brought with her and laid on the table in front of us, the same table I had signed my misery on, and stood up.

"This is for you," she said as she looked down at me, her face blank.

I stood up, carefully taking the square-shaped box from her hand.

"Uh, thank you, Queen Esmat," I said politely.

"Mother," she said, and I frowned at what 'Mother' meant, confused as to why she'd said that, then realizing right away that she meant for me to call her that. My eyes widened slightly. I knew in my heart that I'd never call anyone other than my own mother that name, let alone that woman standing in front of me.

I forced a smile, but that was all she was getting from me as a reply. She raised an eyebrow and I pretended to be busy admiring the box.

"Can I open it?" I asked, trying to change the subject.

A nod.

My eyes widened once again but for a completely different reason. Laid in the silk that filled the inside of the box was a necklace, designed to sit only on the collarbone, decorated with at least a hundred rocks or so all over it. Big and small diamond rocks.

"Wow! This is for me?"

"I've already said it is."

"Uh, thank you."

"Put it on, Benty."

I didn't feel like putting it on while she stood there, but didn't want to get into an argument with her. I thought it wouldn't really hurt me if I did as she requested, so I did.

"I think it'd look better if you removed that – thing." She pointed with her finger and a disgusted look to my necklace.

My hand flew to my cross, holding it in my hand protectively. It felt like she was going to take it away from me, even though I was so sure she wouldn't dare do so. But then again, I didn't know her and knew nothing of her personality. I only knew that what I had seen so far was very unlikable.

"Uh, I don't _ever_ take it off," I said matter-of-factly.

"Hmm," she hummed. "Listen, Yabent," she started with a cold gaze and undeniable sneer, "Mazen is a very good man; he's kindhearted and more than nice. He deserves the best, and a bit more." She eyed my hand that was still holding my cross with disgust before looking back into my eyes. "I'll do anything in my power to prevent that kind heart from being hurt. Anything."

I gazed at her with shock. Her words weren't hurtful, per se, but it didn't mean that those words weren't full of what seemed like a warning.

"I would've really loved for my _only_ child to marry someone who knows how to treat her husband well, someone who knows her duties towards her husband, his rights over her and how to make him happy," she paused. "Someone who's a Muslim."

_Wow!_

Now it wasn't only a warning that laced her words, it was also hatred. Plain and simple.

"But, we can't really always have what we want, can we?" she said with a shake of her head. "However, we do know how to accept what fate has forced on us."

_Is she speaking about me or herself?_

_Hello! I was the one forced into this here!_

"If you ever hurt Mazen in _any way_, I'll make sure to make you regret it."

And then she left. Leaving me standing right where I was, too shocked to speak or even move.

_Guess my Queen Mother-in-Law doesn't like me, after all._

_How much would I like to tell her that the feeling is so mutual. To her and everyone else in this stupid kingdom._

_God!_

**~BK~**

I put the box with the other boxes from yesterday, determined to leave them behind when I _finally_ leave this hell-hole and never look back. It was really nice but all of those diamonds didn't belong to me. I wasn't the prince's bride, nor would I ever be.

Mona came after a few minutes with breakfast and the prince arrived before she'd left the room. He told her something in Arabic which she responded to with a nod and left the room.

I gazed at the prince as he stood beside the door. His angry stare was no longer there; it was replaced by a blank expression, so I couldn't read him, yet again.

For some reason, I couldn't take my eyes off of him. It was like I was waiting for something, only I didn't know what it was. I didn't wonder for long since my thoughts were interrupted the second his soft voice filled the silence.

"We need to talk."

**~BK~**

_**Benty = My child / My daughter.**_

_**Yabent = You Girl.**_

**Facts**_**:**_

**The blood on the sheet is a MUST in some countries. Though, it's fading away with time, now they only show it to the father and brothers of the bride instead of the whole town *cringing* some don't show it at all, but the husband keeps it – sheet or a piece of white cloth.**

_**There was a confusion last time about how many chapters ahead the blog is. See, I update the blog every Monday and here every Friday. So it was two chapters ahead until I updated today in here, and will be again two chapters ahead when I update on Monday. Makes a sense?**_

_**Sometimes I update the blog earlier than Monday, JS**_**.**

**Thanks for reading.**


	8. Chapter 6

**(SM) owns Twilight.**

**(CozItRunsInMyBlood) owns the plot.**

**(RobzBeanie) is a lifesaver and she beta this.**

**(GrandeDame) is my soul-mate and per-reader.**

**Chapter 6**

**Isabella Marie**

I held my breath at his words. I had no idea what would he tell me, ask from me, or what would that be about. I didn't know anything. I dreamed of him letting me go. But I knew he wouldn't. He'd probably keep me in here and torture me to death. His kind could be sadistic like that – no surprise.

I eyed him for a moment, trying to discover his hidden intentions, to hear his silent thoughts, to see the future. But nothing worked; I couldn't read his mind.

I won't lie, I was scared, so scared. Not knowing anything was not nice.

I felt so lonely; in a country that wasn't my own, with people who didn't speak my language and believed in a religion that wasn't mine. No family, no friends, nobody that I knew. My only family had betrayed me, then went on with his life like nothing had happened. I didn't have any clue if he was still anywhere around. I didn't know anything. At all.

My nose tingled as the threat of tears falling down my face came to me. I fought it, but my vision blurred, and I knew he could see the shining in my eyes. I hated it, I didn't want him to see me weak. I _wasn't_ weak. But I was helpless. I didn't know if that was a weakness. I didn't know anything. At all.

He motioned for me to sit on the sofa, and I hesitantly did. He then sat in the same chair his mother had just left. I folded my arms in front of my chest protectively, my eyes lowered, looking anywhere but into his eyes, waiting for what he would say. My heart was pounding in my chest violently, and the fear inside me left my mouth drier than a fallen leaf in autumn.

I heard him sighing and I had to look up; he seemed bitter, unhappy, sad. But he wasn't angry or mad, and for that – I was grateful. I only hoped that it wasn't an act.

"Before anything," he started, "I need to– … What I said earlier. I shouldn't have said it. It was uncalled for."

My eyes widened slightly at what he said; I hadn't expected him to apologize to me. His voice sounded genuine and he seemed to be honest in what he was saying, but … it was hard to believe. My mind was telling me that he couldn't be.

I didn't reply, I only chewed on my bottom lip, not even nodding in acceptance of his apology when he said: "So, I apologize." And when I didn't say anything, he went on.

"I was never in favor of this except for my sister," he said. "Alica is too important to me, and the thought of her being killed was something I couldn't accept – no matter what. Our traditions judge her to be killed, to pay for her mistake with her life, and any way to prevent that from happening – I was willing to take, even if it meant _me_ paying with my own life for hers."

My shoulders hunched forward.

To be honest, I was moved by his words. The love he had for his sister and his willingness to do whatever it would take to save her life was so touching. A wave of sadness washed over me at the realization of how the prince was a better brother than mine. He would've given up his life for his sister to save her, while my brother gave up my life to save his own along with his girlfriend's.

My heart swelled and a tear escaped my eye. Fingertips got rid of it right away before it could be acknowledged by him. I still wanted to appear strong even though I knew that my body language said I was anything but. Broken could be it.

"Honestly, I have no idea what I would've done if your brother didn't have a sister to offer, but I would've found a way to save my sister nonetheless," he told me. "Had I known you were not accepting of this marriage, I would've never agreed to it."

"You wouldn't?" I whispered, shock lacing my voice.

"Of course I wouldn't, it is unacceptable on so many levels."

I looked down again – what I felt in that moment was too much. Too much. It was the moment that removed any doubt in my heart that my brother had done all of that because there was no other choice. I couldn't deny that part of my heart, the heart that loved him with everything in it, wanted to believe that he was helpless and this was really his _only_ choice. Maybe it really was his only choice, but if he'd worked on finding another – I was sure he would've found one. The prince said he would've found a way, so why couldn't Jasper?

It killed me to know for sure that all of this was my brother's doing.

My tears rolled down my cheeks. I couldn't find it in me to brush them away; there was no need to. My firm determination to appear strong faded into thin air along with my last hope of learning that my brother cared for me and there was more to the story.

There was no more to the story. Jasper had sold me out. Simply. Just like that.

"I couldn't believe that Japer's sister would be willing to leave her country, her life, her people to come and live a life she didn't know, but he convinced me that you were even excited to be married to a prince," he chuckled humorlessly.

I replied to him with more tears.

"Your brother fooled me."

"That makes two of us," I told him.

He looked at me for a moment before nodding, his lips forming a thin line as he pressed them together. He then got up and went to the nightstand that was beside the bed, coming back with a box of tissues and handing it to me, not saying anything when I took it from him before he sat back in his arm chair.

It was then that it occurred to me that I still hadn't offered the prince any sort of apology for what I'd said last night. After all, he'd only said what he said when I called him an animal and a filthy Arab. It was only fair if I said I was sorry as well. I did wound his pride – _that_ was what was _uncalled_ for. He didn't know about me being forced into this, he had no hand in it, and so far, he was being nice – it was all an act, of course, but still …

However, before I was able to say anything a thought came to my mind, a hope to be more clear. I wondered if he would let me get a divorce now? I mean, that's what was supposed to happen, right? I was forced into it, and he wasn't into this except to save his sister, and now that she was married and no damage had been done – to her – there was no need for us to stay married.

"Will we get a divorce now?" I asked hopefully.

"Is that what you want?" A look I couldn't decipher shone in his eyes.

_Duh!_

"Yes," I replied. I wanted to say 'Of course' or 'Are you kidding?' but I didn't want to offend him anymore than I already had.

He was silent for a moment, then he replied with a nod. "Eventually, yes."

"Eventually?" I asked in confusion, not knowing what he meant by that.

"Yes, _eventually_," he replied. "We can't get a divorce now; it'd raise too many questions that we are better off without."

"What kind of questions? Who would ask?"

"It's hard to explain, you don't know of our traditions."

_Traditions! Again!_

"Try me." I was losing my patience.

He sighed. "People will wonder why would you come from the other side of the world to marry me only to be divorced the next day, don't you think? We can't let the rumors start. I'm a prince, and all of the royal family has to be held to a high standard. I can't let anyone wonder if my family forced you into this. We're already dealing with a lot since I had to cancel my own marriage for this one, and with my sister marrying a foreigner instead of keeping the royal bloodline going. If they knew you were forced, and given Alica married your brother in _no time_, it'll raise ugly questions about why the hurry and if their marriage had anything to do with your company offering any prosperities to our country like we let them think. It could lead to her death all over again, and that is _not_ an option."

My head was spinning with everything he was telling me. I couldn't think of any one thing in what he was saying, there was so much to think about. So much!

The rumors.

Royal family.

Prince.

Canceled a wedding.

Royal bloodline.

Alice's marriage.

Our company.

Her death.

_Wait …_

"You were engaged to another woman?" I asked.

"Kind of, yes."

"What do you mean by _'Kind of'_ – you're engaged or you aren't, which were you?"

"It's complicated," he said. I folded my arms in front of my chest once more and crossed my legs, huffing.

"I have a very high IQ." I raised an eyebrow, waiting for him to explain.

The prince adjusted himself in the chair and then sighed, shaking his head. "Here with royalty and the passing of the title of King, it's different than what you see in other countries."

"How?"

"Kings don't always pass it to their sons; sometimes they pass it to their brothers," he said.

I knew about that – Kareen had explained to me that her father was the King before he died, and it wasn't passed to one of her brothers since they were all still young.

"Because the sons could be young, yeah, I understand," I told him.

"Not just because of their age, but also if they don't have an heir."

_Oh!_

"I see. But, what does that have to do with you being _'Kind of'_ engaged?"

"Well, my father's younger brother is the potential next King if things get to it, and it's for all of our benefits if we marry our cousins."

_Excuse me?!_

"I'm sorry? Your cousins?"

"Yes, it's not forbidden in my religion to marry your cousin."

_Oh!_

_And … Eww!_

"That uncle of mine has a daughter named Talia. She's appropriate for me to marry, her age I mean, and it's an unspoken rule for us to get married."

"Hmm … and what kind of benefits would you get from marrying each other?" I asked.

"If I become the next King, it'd mean that her son could be the next King along with her being the queen. If her father becomes the next King, it would mean that I'll still rule a state for the rest of my life. It's better than just having the title of being a prince."

"That's complicated," I said.

He raised his eyebrows as if to say _'Didn't I tell you that?'_ but said nothing.

"Marrying me … your chance of being a King is lower than being one now, isn't it?" I asked. I'd never give him an heir, but before anything, I wasn't royal to keep him ruling a state.

He nodded with thin lips again. "I told you I'd do anything for my sister."

It was my turn to nod. "It's uh, … really kind of you," I stated.

"I didn't do it out of kindness."

I nodded again in understanding, and then we lapsed into a few moments of silence before I asked, "Were you in love with her?" The question was going to choke me to death if I didn't ask it, though my need to know the answer was a mystery to me.

The prince locked his eyes with mine for a second before he stood up and fingered the flowers in the vase that was sitting on the round table in the middle of the room, his back turned to me.

"I'd like to keep the answer to myself," he said to the flowers.

I chewed on my bottom lip. The answer was clear, he _was_ in love with her, could be _still_, who knew.

I stood up and took a step towards him. "How long is _'Eventually'_?" I asked him. I understood his reasons for wanting to wait, but honestly, I sort of didn't care. It was their own drama and their own foolish rules that put them in this situation in the first place. Plus, if he divorced me soon, he could marry another and have that heir like he wanted, right? It'd be a win / win deal.

My chest tingled for some unidentified reason at the thought of him marrying another. I was lost as to what it could mean, but figured it might be something along the lines of hope or happiness.

_Maybe …_

I decided that escaping and fighting would mean more stress for me, and given how protected the women were in this country, I knew it would be near to impossible to get away from this palace, let alone the whole country. So I had to go along with what he saw as better for the both of us, even though _my better _would only come when I'm far, far away from this hell-hole.

"I'm not sure," he said after he turned to face me. "We have to wait a decent amount of time before it seems like we're struggling, then some time trying, then we can get the divorce without any problem."

_God!_

"How long would this take?" I asked impatiently.

"A year, maybe." He shrugged.

_What. The. Heck?!_

"You're not being serious, are you?" I asked with wide eyes.

"I think it'd be believable this way."

"No way. Too long!"

"Eight months," he huffed.

"One month."

"Are _you_ being serious? That's not long enough at all."

"Three."

"Six months, no less."

_Too frigging long!_

There was no way I was going to go along with this.

"Fine," I lied.

"Good," he said. "Is there anything you need?"

"Yes."

"Anything."

"My things, I left them in that room we first settled in," I told him.

"Clothes are what you need? I think there are enough clothes in here for you."

"I still want my own. I need my cellphone and laptop, as well."

He shook his head. "I can't bring you those."

"Why the heck not?"

"We're supposed to be on our honeymoon, remember? It's a tradition for the newlywed couple to spend the first seven days together, doing nothing else but … er, getting to know each other. I can't bring you those and let everyone in the palace wonder why you need them so much for them to take you away from your husband in your first days together."

"You're a prince, you can skip this one tradition, no one will care," I tried.

"My family and I have to be role models. I should follow the rules more than anyone. I don't make them, nor my father – the King – we only obey."

"Okay, just give me my cellphone, please."

"Do you see my cellphone with me?" he asked, hands flying in the air on both sides. "I'm not happy with it, either, trust me."

"This is ridiculous," I said in frustration, my arms flying in the air.

He seemed offended by my statement, but didn't say anything about it. He only said another thing that made me even more confused.

"I'd appreciate it if this stayed between the two of us."

"Why is that?"

"Let's just say that other than how the word would spread like a forest fire, things would get _really_ ugly if my mother found out." _Why am I not surprised by this? _"I also would prefer if my sister didn't learn what a jerk she just got married to."

_She didn't know …_

"Okay."

Escaping the first chance I get it is, then.

**~BK~**

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